housewarming

everyone here is passed out after a day of fun in the sun at laura lee, byron, che and darby's new house in albany. there were many naked children, talk of kindergarten lotteries (those not living in sf seem amazed and confounded by the lottery which, as i talked about it today, is really mostly of benefit to educated and full of resource type parents like myself), folks who all used to live in the city and have now spread out--fairfax, sacramento, albany, alameda, champagne, fruit trees, and a quiet street with flowers growing in front of everyone's house. rich and i stayed way beyond the end of the party, dreading the bridge traffic. as the sun started heading down the backyard became cool and shady. miles held a demanding stuffed toucan and darby catered to the bird's whims by yanking up about 10 salads worth of vegetables to feed him. sorry laura lee and byron! darby and miles still seem to love each other, and miles announced that he wanted to move into darby's house with him. does my 4-year-old know something i don't? would living in albany be better for us all?

little che and maya posed for this photo when directed to "say 'i love my pee-pee'".

we finally left and my brain started obsessing about whether it was better to live here or there. then, as we travelled i-8o along the water and i gazed at the sun setting on pretty condos that i assume will be underwater in 25 years, i had, not an insight, or realization, but just a glimmer of a thought, that --it doesn't matter where we live.
people will still come and go. laura lee's grandmotherly neighbor told me all her friends had moved from albany just as ours have been leaving the city. miles and darby will still cause trouble. the bridge will still cross over the bay. the kids will still keep growing. we will be friends with our true friends, wherever they are and however little we see them. we came back to a cool city and parked pretty near the house. no driveway. just a few pieces of trash swirling in the evening breeze. miles summons up a little energy from somewhere and says i'll beat ya and i race him as fast as my screwed up back will let me, carrying laughing maya, and just having to trust that there is nothing bad around the corner as miles disappears, and beats me again to the front door.